The putting greens of most golf courses are designed to provide an interesting variety of playing surfaces having varying degrees of difficulty according to the size, contour, grade and texture thereof. In most golf courses, putting greens once designed remain in their original configuration for relatively long durations. The only playing variations result from changing hole locations on a green. Despite the changes engendered by hole location changes, players who repeatedly play on the same course eventually become familiar with the contours of each putting green, which, advantageously, may enable them to lower their scores. However, while a lower score may prove initially satisfying, the boredom associated with playing in a known environment may decrease the player's interest in the course, causing the player to look to other, possibly competing courses. Moreover, a static course would not be desirable for tournament play where course variations are desirable. Moreover, in such situations a guest would be at a disadvantage when playing against an experienced member at his home course.
In an effort to spark renewed interest in the course, to improve or modify tournament play, and to prevent or reduce possible unfair advantage, course owners or superintendents from time to time relandscape the putting greens to provide new contours and grades, thereby modified playing conditions. Such modifications, however, represent a fairly major landscaping task and may entail many hours of labor during which the putting green cannot be used. Accordingly, there is an evident need for a method and apparatus for readily and significantly varying the surface contour and grade of a putting green surface as desired to adapt the golf course to player needs. Such an apparatus would be particularly useful for tournament play where it may be desirable to vary the putting green surfaces for each tournament, or perhaps even between each round so that no players have an advantage based on knowledge of the greens.